AR Project Artifice
by Kalshion
Summary: A ten year old joins Babels ESPer Elite, but there's more to this girl and her supervisor than what is being made available to them. With the CIA Involved, things are going to get heated, with the risk of open war... This story is in an Alternate Reality
1. Prologue

**Tokyo, Year 20XX**

There was a gentle pattering of rain over the city of Tokyo. The sounds of car horns blared in the air, mixed with the distant rattling of thunder and wind as it moved through the city; it was a cloudy day. Flying above the city was a helicopter flying in a southwestern direction, the letters 'B.A.B.E.L' painted on its sides. Staring out the window was a ten year old girl, who bore a depressed expression. She sighed heavily, though whether it was because of the storm or something else wasn't known.

"Ten minutes ago, an ESPer capable of metamorphosis escaped from police custody," someone said over the chopper's internal loudspeakers. "Your job is to apprehend him before he causes any more problems, preferably 'alive' please." The person emphasized the word 'alive' and let it sink in for a few moments before continuing. "You have ten minutes."

The girl didn't say a word as a device located around her neck chimed and she could make out a faint bluish glow below her. She flexed her hand and then walked over to the open doorway. Here it was revealed that she was wearing a pair of light blue sweat pants with white line running down the sides with a red trim running along the edges. Her top consisted of a light red shirt and a purple cowl draped over her shoulders, and around her neck was a collar that had an oval with a diamond in the center. Around both of her wrists were black bands, and on her feet she wore a pair of military issued combat boots . "Get to work," the voice said over the loudspeaker. The girl looked up at it, then gave it the middle finger before jumping out of the chopper.

As she fell through the air, she looked down and spread her arms out. She loved flying: it made her feel at least somewhat free. After a moment, she straightened herself out and flew to just two hundred feet above the ground, weaving between buildings while searching for the criminal.

Below she could see people going about their daily lives, some shopping, others going to work. She saw some kids who were running through the rain without umbrellas. _Wish I was normal,_ she sighed, and shook her head before noticing a police car with its sirens wailing a short distance below and ahead of her. She followed the car for some distance, before a smile cracked across her face: there, running along the side of the road, was a fox that had orange fur with red strips running through it. It glanced over its shoulder at the police car, apparently not noticing her just yet.

There was a distant flash of lightning followed by the sound of thunder, causing the girl to slow her flight down a bit, [i]I hate lightning,[/i] she whimpered belatedly as another bolt of lightning flashed. As she glanced up at the sky she shook her head, and looked ahead in time to avoid hitting a light pole, which she flew under and missed by barely a foot and continued after the criminal.

After another glance at the car, the fox took off through a large crowd of people; some screamed, and others got out of the way. She kept on him though, and watched him from above, waiting for her chance to strike. When she saw it disappear down a subway entrance, she scowled and let out a slew of mental curses.

She flew down to the entrance and floated there for a moment to watch him, then took off after him. "Coming through!" she shouted as pedestrians got out of the way. Some muttered 'Is that an ESPer?' while others kept quiet or gasped in surprise.

When she was halfway down, she caught sight of a trashcan flying through the air but didn't have time to stop as it smacked her in the head. She recoiled backwards for a moment and grabbed her head, then shook the stars out of her vision and continued. When she arrived on the bottom step she cursed at herself; she couldn't see the fox anywhere.

"Where did he go?" she said, looking around frantically. The sound of the storm outside played hell with her hearing and thus she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until it was nearly too late. She blinked and glanced over her shoulder, seeing a man in his late twenties wielding a large pipe. He swung, but she sidestepped before spinning over him and then sweeping his legs out from under him.

He landed on his back and looked straight up at the girl before morphing back into a fox and scurrying away, but he didn't get far before the ground beneath him erupted and he was tossed into the air. He landed on his side, and his form changed back to that of a human.

Shaking his head a bit, he looked back at the girl, "W-what the hell are you?" he asked before he saw a red glow form in her hand. "Shit! A government Esper!" he scurried back to his feet again and tried to flee, but didn't get to far before the girl knelt down and slammed her hand into the ground. The ground began to shake, causing the man to come to a stop as he looked around. Beneath his feet several earth-like tentacles appeared and wrapped around his legs. The tentacles whipped backwards, causing him to fall flat on his stomach.

Somewhat dazed, he lay there as the girl approached him, but when she got close enough he pulled a gun out of waist band and pointed it at her. Her expression changed to shock as he pulled the trigger and fired off two rounds, but he in turn was shocked as the rounds were caught in mid air by the tentacles. He blinked once before the gun was slapped out of his hands by the girl and clattered down onto the subway tracks, disappearing into the darkness.

"Very good," said an older woman as she walked down the subway entrance. She appeared to be around thirty six years of age; she wore a business dress and held what looked like an oversized cell phone.

"Supervisor Luan," the ten year old said as she floated above the ground a few feet before the device around her neck chimed and she suddenly found herself landing on all fours. She shot a glare at the lady, who glared right back at her, causing her to stand down. There was a 'click' as an ESP Lock was cuffed to the man's wrists, he looked down at it then looked away.

There was a commotion above as several officers ran down the stairway. When the officers got there, they took the man away, and the girl watched with feigned curiosity. "You did good. As long you listen and pay attention, you'll be just [i]fine[/i]," Luan said with a small grin on her face and a hand on the young girls shoulder.

**Author Note: **

**Special thanks to Birai and Slaskia for beta-reading this prologue :)**

**Here's hoping this sets the stage, chapter one will be out sometime in the middle of next week. **


	2. Chapter 1  New Arrival

Horrible storm, said the ten year old girl as she looked out the window of the chopper as it flew along the coastline. This one was devoid of the BABEL markings and instead held the markings of the Japanese Government, more specifically, the JIA or Japanese Intelligence Agency. It flew low over the coast, only deverting from its course to avoid a lighthouse that was in its path.  
As it turned around a building, a large structure appeared in the distance. Say hello to your new home, said Luan as she looked out the window. She looked down, it was a towering structure that appeared to have a step like configuration at the ground. Bable was written in various places, she pondered whether this place would be any better than where she came from. Once we land, stay beside me, don t wander or gawk, Luan said sternly and the girl just nodded.  
The chopper flew around the tall part of the structure, where there was a helipad in the distance. The pilot aimed for it, but the high-winds buffeted the chopper as it came in for a landing. It rocked from side to side, and the girl wasn t liking the swaying one bit as she held onto the bar. She fought the urge to throw up, though her expression betrayed that. When the chopper finally came to a stop, she let out a sigh of relief and placed her hand on her chest.

Let s go girl, said Luan as she popped open the door. A few feet away from the pad were two Babel guards and a young woman. Curiously, the girl stepped out of the chopper, carrying what looked like a notebook or some kind of journal in one hand. Instead of following Luan like she should've, she casually walked over to the edge of the helipad and looked out, gazing at the view of the city that the helipad offered.  
Welcome to Babel, Base of Backing Esper Laboratory, the young woman said with a bow then stepped sideways. My name is Kashiwagi, she added as the two approuched her. Luan looked back as the pilot closed the door and then took off back to wherever they came from.  
My name s Luan, the Chief is in right? Luan asked with her arms folded over her chest. The girl walked a short distance away toward the edge of the pad and looked around, despite the high winds; she braced herself rather well and wasn t swayed at all.  
Kashiwagi watched her for a moment then turned her attention to the question Luan asked. He is presently in a meeting right now, but he should be done in ten to fifteen minutes, she turned toward the door. You can wait in the lounge until he is ready, she added and started heading for the door.  
Don t linger, Luan looked over at her charge. The girl stared out for a few moments, then sighed and shot Luan a glare before fast walking over to the door. The insides were clean and polished; something that the girl obviously wasn t used as she appeared too amazed, or was it shock? There were other people walking around, mostly guards, but some men in white lab coats mellowed about. Some carried clipboards, others carried boxes, a few talked amongst themselves. The lounge was a large room located a short walk from the helipad, it had several benches, a variety of plants that were both in pots and hung along the walls and several TV s that showed the latest news. Toward the far back there was a door that lead outside to an open air lounge.  
Luan looked annoyed and took a seat on a bench located a good distance away from the main door, the girl on the other hand walked out into the open lounge. There she leaned up against the wall and looked up at the sky, her expression depressing and her hand raised when she saw a bird flying nearby. As she watched, she became aware of someone staring at her, when she looked over she caught sight of three girls seemly close to her age. Who are you? she asked the girls. One of them stepped forward. My name s Kaoru, Akashi Kaoru, she said with her hand out in a shake. The girl looked down at it for a moment in puzzlement, then grabbed her hand. Nice to meet you, she said. From within the closed off lounge, Luan watched this with a shake of her head and a slight scowl.  
My name s Shiho," another girl said. "And this is Aoi. Shiho stepped aside and introduced both herself and Aoi, a girl who was wearing glasses.  
My names- the girl started before her ear-piece came to life.  
i Get your ass in here now, /i Luan barked into the piece. The girl winced at the sound of the voice and smiled nervously at the three girls. S-sorry, she quickly took off.  
Inside, she took a seat on the bench beside her supervisor and closed her eyes, after nearly ten minutes; Kashiwagi came into the lounge and informed Luan that the Chief is ready. When the girl opened her eyes, she saw that the three kids she had seen before were gone. iWhat is Luan s problem /i she thought with a scowl before getting up and following her.  
When they got the chief s office, Luan turned toward her charge. Don t say a word, you know what will happen if you do, she said and the girl bore a pained expression. The door s opened, and inside were several people. One of those that the girl noticed was a tall man wearing a business suit, standing off to the side were the three kids she had seen in the lounge, they all wore blue like suits with pleated white skirts, something she didn t pay much attention to minutes before. Off to the side of the chief s desk, or who she assumed to be the chief, was another man who was wearing a white lab coat. Near a sofa, she saw an older women who seemed to be relaxing, not something she d expect to see considering what was about to go on.  
Do you re people always relax when business is in store? Luan asked and thumbed the lady at the sofa. The chief nervously smiled. That would be our director, he responded nervously. Aha huh. Luan shook her head and produced her badge, then placed it on the chiefs desk. You have the paper work I presume yes? He opened up a side drawer and took it out, signed and dated only a day ago. Luan picked it up and looked through it. Good, perhaps you aren t as useless as you appear, she said with a hint of annoyance.  
The man in the lab coat shifted position at this, but Luan shot him a quick glare that caused him to not say anything. The girl was nervous though, as evidenced by the rubbing of her hands together. The three kids who observed her, all female, bore curious expressions, but one wasn t curious but suspicious. Maybe you did miss a line, Luan said as she placed the paperwork back down on the deck. The chief looked at it then signed it. She picked it back up and looked it over before nodding in approval. Very good, you know the situation but it seems you brought half of the damned force here. She looked around and noticed some curious stares. With a sigh she walked over to a window which had an open space for her. Very well, I wasn t going to introduce myself but since it seems we have others. My name is Luan Takesha, she looked around and then added more. You will address me only as Luan, I m here by orders of the government since the facility we were in originally is no longer suitable for our work, she then looked over at the girl. This girl is called Rin, she s a level seven esper, she s a Naturalist. Naturalist? Asked Sakaki, before he saw something noticeable around the girls left wrist. iA medical alert bracelet? Odd to find on a fellow Esper...,/i he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  
Minamoto thought for a few seconds, then said. Someone who main focus is on nature. Exactly, she s a psychokinetic. Luan walked away from the window. She s been doing work for the CIA for four years, but two years ago she was sent here when the CIA couldn t control her any further. She s been under my icare/i ever since. she looked down at Rin.  
Rin nervously looked away; staring at the walls that were filled with a variety of documents that spoke volumes for the agencies successes. Why does she have three limiters? asked Minamoto as he took a few steps forward, causing Rin to take a step back.  
Ah, only one is the limiter, Luan smiled happily. Rin looked over at her in confusion, but it was only a quick expression before she suddenly realized what was about to happen next. The other two, she pulled out a controller and pressed a button.  
Rin felt a sudden volt across her body as electrical currents arced up her arms, she let out a scream of agony for several seconds before Luan switched it off. With the surge gone, Rin hit the ground in pain, the notebook she had been carrying on the ground beside her.  
You didn t need to do that! Minamoto shouted and shot a glare at Luan.  
Luan walked over to Rin and knelt down, placing a hand under her chin and lifting it. Rin looked pained, both eyes partly shut. Oh, I think I did, besides it looked like she would ve given me problems anyway. She smiled at the girl s agony.  
This reminds me of Suma, said Aoi as she stared nervously at Rin.  
Luan laughed lightly. Ahhh yes, Suma, I remember her. She went crazy, though I m surprised you three monsters are actually docile, perhaps your handler has better ways to control you than my old supervisor, she said and stood up and walked over to the chief s desk. Like Suma, my authority overrides your own; you have no say in what I do to Rin or how I treat her. And if you try and go over my head, I ll make certain all funding is cut to this organization, she said strictly.  
You can t do that! said Sakaki. As Luan got up and walked over to Sakaki and grabbed him by the collar. She glowered into his face, and a small grin appeared. I can do whatever I want as I have complete oversight of this operation, in fact, had it been up to me, I d be in charge of Bable right now, but luckily for you, I m not, she said non-chelantly. She then released him and looked over at Minamoto before shaking her head. Luan just snickered lightly as she turned toward Rin. Get up girl, she glared harshly down at her as Rin struggled to get back up. Kaoru took a small step, but Minamoto stopped her from going any further. Rin couldn t get up though, due to the pain that coursed through her body, she fell onto one knee. Get. Up. Luan scowled as she lightly tapped the button. Rin felt a small surge which made her motivated and caused her to get up. Very good, she placed her hand on Rin s head. We ll take our leave, Luan looked over at the Chief, then at Minamoto. Keep those monsters away from Rin, I don t want them poisoning her mind. At that Kaoru s fist balled up.  
Come, Luan beckoned for the door and Rin followed slowly, her body still aching from the shock. As the doors closed, Minamoto turned toward the chief.  
Are we really unable to do anything? he asked furiously.  
The chief collapsed his hands and rested his head against them. I want to help her, but we can t! She s a government agent just like Suma was, unless something drastic happens or she snaps like Suma did, we can t do a thing! He rose from his seat and walked over to the window. Kaoru stole a glance at the door, then back at Minamoto. You know what ll happen if she keeps doing that, she said.  
Yes I do, said Minamoto as he turned around. It didn t help you three any when Suma was doing it to you, and I m sure it won t help her. But we can t do anything, he then quickly added. And neither will you three, if any of you try anything it could cause problems with the government. iA few floors down/i  
The elevator chimed as it arrived on the dorm floor. Luan stepped aside and shoved Rin through the door, she nearly tripped but regained her composure. Two guards walked behind them, neither seemed to be paying attention to Luan or Rin.  
When they got to a door, Luan opened it and pushed Rin inside. Get settled in and get some rest, I ll be back for you in a few hours for some training. Don t attempt to take off the wrist guards. She then slammed the door. You two make certain she doesn t leave, if she does, shoot her. Both guards looked at her in disbelief as she walked away. One lowered his rifle and looked at his companion. Did she say to shoot a child? he asked.  
His companion nodded. Yea, she did. Reminds me to much of that bitch from a year and a half ago or so, he said and glanced over at the door. I already feel sorry for her, as The Children have proven, it is always possible to turn them around. He then looked back forward.  
Inside, Rin picked herself up off the ground. Damn Normal , she grumbled as she struggled to look around. The room was rather vacant; there was a bed under the window with a dresser up against the wall. A sofa was off to her left, nearest the door. There was a TV built into the wall, which she ignored and struggled over to the bed, she fell down onto it as small tears ran down her cheeks. She turned over; and breathed in a bit before she curled up into a ball and tried to get some rest.  
iSeveral hours later/i  
Rin felt a sudden jolt as she was woken from what was a pleasant sleep, she looked up to find Luan hovering over her, it took her only a moment to realize that the jolt she felt was Luan kicking the side of the bed. Get up, we ll get something to eat before we train, she turned and headed for the door.  
She looked down at her palm, then closed it and got up out of bed and stretched her arms up high before quickly running after Luan. The two headed down the corridor and turned the corner, walking right into the cafeteria. Get yourself whatever you want, but remember to hurry, I don t want to linger here any longer then as needed, she said.  
Rin only nodded her head slowly and walked over to the salad bar, she looked over what was available and made herself a large salad along with some milk. She then walked over to the table that Luan was at, noticing that her supervisor opted for a cup of coffee instead of something to eat. Rin didn t ask, instead just sitting down and started eating her food.  
It did feel odd to her; she was used to armed guards staring down at her with their fingers on the trigger, but here, there was none of that yet. Get up, Luan said only four minutes later. Rin looked up in surprise as Luan grabbed her arm and hauled her up out of her seat, Come on. She shoved her toward the exit. Rin swallowed what she could and wished that she could ve kept eating, it was the best salad she had ever had. They rode the elevator the bottom floor and exited out into an enclosed training room, the ground was covered in grass with tree s here and there. Luan glanced up at the control booth and nodded, then the room shimmered slightly before changing into a target range. You should know what to do, and do not make me to tell you. She folded her arms over her chest and watched.  
Several targets appeared beside some trees and a sign. Rin watched as her supervisor disengaged her limiter release. Remember, you are here to train only, if you try anything stupid . She kept her finger on a particular button. And if I feel you aren t trying hard enough. She pressed it and Rin yelped in surprise as a current flowed over her body, it lasted only a second, but it was enough for her to upchuck her lunch. As she laid there, she wiped her mouth while glaring at Luan. Then got up, and started training, but didn t get far before a siren started blaring, causing her to stop for a moment and look up. Not for us, get back to training, Luan snapped at Rin causing the girl to jump for a moment, before turning her attention back to her training.  
iElsewhere/i  
Kaoru, Shiho and Aoi ran from the Cafeteria, closely being followed by Minamoto as they headed into an elevator and rode it down to the deployment center and bounded onto an awaiting helo. The doors above parted ways, rain fell through the newly opened skylight, the sound of the blades chipping the air pierced clean through the sound of hard rain hitting the ground.  
It lifted up, clearing the side walls before ascending into the air and moving at a western direction. Ten minutes ago, the precog team predicted a bank robbery, said Minamoto as he opened up his laptop and displayed the bank. Expensive bank, Kaoru commented when she saw just how elegant it looked. It s one of the more expensive in the country and used primarily by the rich, they ve already been informed of the possible robbery but only certain members of their staff will be told. We want to catch the robbers in the act, Minamoto changed the image to show the interior.  
Reminds me of the bank robbery from last year, commented Shiho. But that one was perpetrated by an Esper, what about this one? asked Aoi.  
Don t know yet, replied Minamoto as the chopper rocked from side to side.  
i We got some high winds out right now, sorry about the bumpy ride /i the pilot announced over the loud speaker. As the chopper came in over the bank; Kaoru noticed a landing pad on top of it. The pilot brought the chopper in slowly, but the confined spaces of two other buildings made this landing a precarious one. Whoever the hell decided to build a helipad in-between two large buildings was nuts, the pilot was heard commenting from the cockpit. Remember to lay low until the robbers get in, said Minamoto as he removed the control device. The Children, Release! he pressed a series of buttons as the limiters on Kaoru, Aoi and Shiho were released. The three kids teleported out of the chopper and were soon inside the bank, it was a cozy atmosphere with people going about their daily business. There was almost no evidence that the staff knew about the impending robbery, though Shiho did notice one executive who appeared nervous, who was standing toward the far back near a security door. They peered through a security window, a pan of glass designed so that a person can look out but no one can look in. Kaoru watched curiously, taking note of some of the females who were wearing some incredibly short skirts despite the weather outside. Shiho likewise observed with Aoi staying in the corner; she kept an eye on everyone but attention was focused on three people who just didn t look right to her. Kaoru-chan, she spoke up and pointed her finger at the three she was watching. Kaoru noticed them and then kept her eyes on them as well. Two minutes, Minamoto said from the safety of the chopper, the banks security cameras were wide open, allowing him to see clearly into the banks lobby though he had no idea where the Children were. As the minutes soon ticked down to mere seconds, he was beginning to wonder if perhaps the precog was a false alarm.  
That question was answered when the three people that Shiho was monitoring suddenly sprang into action. One of them, a female, pulled out a semi-automatic that was attacked to a thigh strap from under her skirt, giving Kaoru a nice view of her panties for a split second. The other one, also a female, produced several grenades from her pockets and removed the pins and held them. The last one, this one male, took out two nine milimeters from under his coat. Everyone stay calm! shouted the male as he held up his weapons. No one try anything funny or this lobby will be painted red, he turned toward his female companion who gave him a nod. The two women moved toward the front while the man stayed behind to keep an eye on the people there. The girls stayed hidden for a few moments, while the women with the semi-automatic produced a bag from under her coat and handed it to the banker. Fill it, she demanded.  
The banker nodded quickly and started depositing money into the bag. Hurry, the man said as he took out a handheld and listened to it, but strangely heard no police commotion. Odd, usually by now the police would be on their way, he brought the hand held away from his ear for a moment then blinked. Unless ! he started to look around.  
Kaoru grinned as he placed her hand by the door. Psychic DOOR BUSTER! she shouted as the door flew off its hinges and slammed the nearest female, the one with the grenades, clear in the body causing the explosive devices to fly up into the air. Aoi went right to work and teleported the grenades to the only safest place she knew: The bank vault. Inside there was a very muffled bang.  
The man turned toward them and fired off a series of rounds, but Kaoru brought up a physic barrier to protect her and Shiho while Aoi teleported the gun out of his hand. The front door was then blown open as a group of Bable Special Forces rushed in with their rifles pointed at the robbers, the man glared at them and let out a sigh of defeat and raised his hands. Damn Espers, he commented.

Author Note:  
Was supposed to have been post a 'long' time ago, but issues with made it take quite awhile longer, I don't have those issues with DA, so it's best to occasionally check my DA account for updates. (You can find the link in my profile)  
Special thanks to Birai and Slaskia for beta reading, and Sinziar for commissioned work (only viewable on ) 


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